


Hijo De La Luna

by byeolbit



Series: Greed of Gods [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Hongbin is only there for the end, M/M, This is a tragedy, contains tones of homophobia and mpreg, seriously dont read this if you aren't ready, you'll miss Sanghyuk entirely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 02:19:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15208694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolbit/pseuds/byeolbit
Summary: Taekwoon has always wanted a child and Hakyeon has always wanted to marry his love. So Hakyeon prays to the Moon.





	Hijo De La Luna

**Author's Note:**

> Adaptation Source - Hijo De La Luna (Spanish: Son of the moon) - a Spanish folk tale
> 
> Warnings - The source material from which the story is adapted is problematic and contains themes of racism, violence and adultery. I’d recommend reading it with a grain of salt. This story also contains tones of homophobia and M-Preg.

“Don’t you know that it is a moral crime to interrupt meditation?” Hakyeon hissed. His hand reached for the blade, lying beside the rock he was currently sitting on. He had failed to pray for seven nights straight and would have to begin again. But this time he would ensure he had no interruptions. The intruder’s head would rest on a pike.

“You’ve prayed for five nights straight” a soft voice said. 

Hakyeon picked up the blade in a flash, ready in fighting stance. The lack of moonlight made it heard to see the intruder but Hakyeon could hear his padded feet. Light on his feet, probably fast too.  
Hakyeon calculated his odds in his head. 

“Reveal yourself” Hakyeon demanded, keeping an eye on the general direction of the sound. The owl hooted in the distance.

“You’ve prayed to the moon for five nights and five days” the stranger said, stepping into the clearing. 

“I have” Hakyeon said warily. The stranger had pale skin and silver hair. He did not belong to these lands. The finery in itself would be worth the money to feed his entire tribe for a month. So what was the reason for him to be stalking a peasant like him?

“You are in his presence. Speak and you shall be heard” the man said.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened. People had spoken of the legends in hushed whispers. The man of silver who lay in the sky, protecting the people of his tribe. The Moon who gave them light in the absence of the golden Sun and the tides and winds for safe travel.

But none had ever seen him before and Hakyeon had not known what to expect if his prayers were ever answered.

“My apologies” Hakyeon said, immediately kneeling down.

“Why do you pray? What is it that drew you from the safety of your people to take refuge in the forests, surrounded by wildlings and dangerous predators?” the Moon asked.

“Answer me child. Haven’t you heard the tales of the bad things that happen to the people who invoke the Moon God’s wrath?”

Hakyeon lowered his eyes. He hesitated, doubtful of his own intentions and intimidated by the presence of the god.

“You pray to obtain the love of that man” the Moon said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “Tell me, what makes him a worthy choice? Is it the way he mocks you for your skin or for your orientation? The way his eyes gleam as he kills the creations of almighty in the petty squabbles you call war? Doesn’t make him very likeable.”

“He is different!” Hakyeon insisted.

“All warriors are glorified killers. The one you love has killed the most of his brothers” Moon chuckled. “And yet here you are. Praying to the divine for his love in return for yours.”

“I wouldn’t blame you” he said in a softer tone. “The legends have been perverted over time to misguide many before you. You aren’t the first nor will you be the last.”

“I do not understand” Hakyeon said, blinking at the god.

“The stories tell you to pray so that I will be impressed by your dedication to your cause and grant you a boon. But my dear child, things do not work that way. My favour cannot be given freely. I demand a fair bargain” the Moon told him.

“Everything I have is yours to take” Hakyeon said. His voice trembled under the weight of the knowledge that he had nothing to give. That was the true reason he had been in the forest. Spurned by Wonshik, the one true love of his life, he had come to the forest to end his life in meditation of the gods. He had had nothing left of his and hence nothing left to give. 

A look at the god told him that he already knew this truth.

“Your first born child” the Moon said.

“My lord?” Hakyeon asked, confused.

“I shall claim my favour on the day of the birth of your first child” the Moon said. 

“So you will grant my wish?” Hakyeon asked, surprised at the turn of events. He was sure he had offended the god by his lack of material possessions disproportionate to the boon he asked for.

“But none of us can have a child” he said, horrified at the realisation. They were both men. Scorn by the tribe aside, how would they bear a child together?

“But you will. That will be my boon” the god said. He leaned to reach out to Hakyeon’s face who shied away from the touch. “You wish for his love and you shall have it. Along with two of his children. A family as you wish for. And in return, I shall claim my favour from you on the day of the birth of the first.” 

Moon took Hakyeon’s face in his hand and studied it thoughtfully. Hakyeon struggled trying to decide how to respond to the god. 

“What will I have to do?” Hakyeon asked. 

“A moonstone in his drink on the night of the new moon” the Moon said, slipping a small white stone in Hakyeon’s hands.

“I cannot thank you enough - ” Hakyeon started, clutching the stone to his chest. 

“Leave. The new moon is in a week’s time and you must start soon to reach your tribe in time” the Moon said, interrupting the man. Hakyeon nodded and got up. A grateful bow later he left, making his way through the thick dark under growth of the forest.

“I am impressed” the figure leaning by the tree said.

“I assume you were audience to the entire exchange Jaehwan” the Moon said.

“Only for the exciting bits, I assure you Taekwoon" Jaehwan said as he stepped out into the clearing. His golden hair and skin stood out more than Taekwoon’s did. The radiance of the Sun was always difficult to hide.

“And will you taunt me for it? I suppose if you wanted to then you already would have” Taekwoon said.

“You intend to take his first born child” Jaehwan hypothesised.

“I will claim my end of the bargain on the day of the birth of his first born” Taekwoon said simply.

“The first born from the seed of the Moon? It’s not very hard to recognise moonstone to the ones who are looking” Jaehwan remarked.

“He asked for a family. I have granted him his boon” Taekwoon said simply. He bowed to the Sun god before walking deeper into the woods.

“I suppose mortals shall always fall in the name of love” Jaehwan said to himself before retreating into the night.

-x-

“Come make merry my darling Chief! You are the one who led the tribe to victory after all” the woman said, sitting on Wonshik’s lap.

“Come come Chieftain! Making a beautiful woman beg. Shame on you man!” one of the other soldiers piped up causing a round of laughter and amusement.

“What do you have on your mind, my dearest?” the woman asked, stroking Wonshik’s cheek with a finger and leaning in to make sure her breasts touched against his bare chest in an effort to arouse him and keep him interested.

“If you will excuse me, beautiful” Wonshik said, kissing her cheek. He stood up abruptly, causing the woman to stumble. She managed to hold onto another chieftain to prevent herself from falling and was visibly less amused when the man leered at her.

Wonshik left the area wordlessly, heading for his tent. He had no mood for foolish revelry. Their victory today had been a stroke of luck. The other tribes would be back with a vengeance and someone had to keep their head about them.

He almost stumbled on a root. The lack of a moon and the buzz of strong alcohol had reduced the visibility of his surroundings greatly. A gentle hand held onto him and guided him to his tent.

“I must thank you for- Hakyeon! It is you! Where have you been?” Wonshik almost yelled in surprise.

“I was in the mountains. Meditating. I assumed I would not be sorely missed” Hakyeon replied. He held a small pouch in his hand and fiddled with the fabric as he spoke.

“Another sword on the battlefield is always appreciated” Wonshik said, pushing the flap to his tent aside and walking in. He lit the lantern and an amber glow filled up the entire tent. His hair looked red in the golden light but Hakyeon had no time to admire it now. It was a challenge considering how Wonshik had abandoned his shirt altogether and his entire body was on display. The tattoo of the Sun and Moon gods shining on his chest. An indicator of his status and a reminder of a lack thereof on Hakyeon’s part.

“You have many men who would fall at their feet or through swords for you” Hakyeon reminded him. Wonshik was the Chieftain of the tribe after all, a mantle passed onto him by his father. People followed where Wonshik led, from small skirmishes for food and water to bloody battles for honour.

“I’d rather they be sensible enough to stay alive” Wonshik scoffed. “Try not to wander through the woods alone. I don’t want our enemies thinking you are an easy target.”

“You don’t have to worry about me” Hakyeon promised.

“Not if you keep wandering off on your own. You are a part of my tribe and hence my responsibility now” Wonshik told him. Hakyeon nodded in response.

“I didn’t see you at the great feast either” Wonshik said, moving around the tent to get his affairs in order and mattress made.

“I just arrived and I came to see you first. I have something important to talk to you about” Hakyeon said. He had heard the rumours. First started in jest to fluster Hakyeon and then fuelled by his supposed lack of convincing refusals. They said Hakyeon was in love with him. Nonsense, Wonshik dismissed. Men did not love other men that way, it was simply impossible. Impossible and unnatural.

“I went up to the mountains to pray to the Moon God” he started carefully. Wonshik’s ears perked at that. 

“What did you wish for?” he asked. 

“Things. But they are of no consequence here. What matters is what I came back with” he assured the chieftain. Wonshik noted how Hakyeon’s voice dropped and he hesitated, looking at the entrance to the dwelling.

“No one shall interrupt us tonight for everyone is drunk out of their minds. You may speak without fear” he told the older man.

“The Moon God gave me a blessing” he said, pulling the silver stone out of his bag. “A moonstone to be drunk on the night of the new moon. It will grant the drinker strength beyond measure.” Hakyeon trembled a little, knowing that he was lying through his teeth for his beloved. 

“But the new moon begins tonight” Wonshik said, staring at the stone. Anyone who knew what they were looking for could recognise that the stone was authentic. The shine and colour matched no known gem on earth and alchemy couldn’t fake it. 

“You wish to consume it? Is that why you are here Hakyeon? To warn me before you challenge me for the tribe?” Wonshik asked, his hand reaching to his dagger.

“You misunderstand my Chief” Hakyeon said immediately. “I have come to offer it to you.”

“Why?” Wonshik asked skeptically.

“I have no lust for power or the glorified killing it brings. I am no leader. But you, you just might turn out to be one of the greatest” Hakyeon told him.

“Why should I believe you? How do I know that it isn’t a fake and you’re not here to actually poison me when no one else is looking?” Wonshik demanded.

“Because I love you” Hakyeon said bluntly. Wonshik faltered at the strong conviction in his voice. “I have nothing else to offer you. This is all I have to give.”

“We drink it together” Wonshik said, turning away from Hakyeon. He found two clean goblets and pulled out a half filled pitcher of wine. He avoided the intense gaze of the other man as he held the wine pitcher open for Hakyeon to drop the moonstone in.

Hakyeon did as indicated, disheartened by Wonshik’s lack of acknowledgement and mistrust. The moonlight shone through the window and he prayed to the Moon God for strength. Wonshik poured out the wine into the two goblets. 

“To our good health” he mocked, lifting the cup to his lips. Hakyeon raised his glass but drank none of it, watching Wonshik gulp down the wine. Wonshik swore because the wine tasted sour and disgusting. He threw the goblet down and stumbled, looking for something to hold on.

“Are you alright?!” Hakyeon exclaimed, rushing forward to catch the man. Wonshik blinked twice and tried to stand up, slowly regaining his consciousness. He felt dizzy but his senses were starting to clear up again.

“Beautiful” he said, looking at how the moonlight illuminated Hakyeon’s hair. 

“Wonshik” Hakyeon paled as the younger man cupped his face. Wonshik pulled him in and kissed him. Hakyeon gasped at the strength with which Wonshik pulled him, both of them stumbling to the mattress together.

“Are you out of your mind?” Hakyeon asked as Wonshik took his shirt off. 

“I know what I want and what I am doing” Wonshik said. “I can feel the moonstone in my veins.”

“And…?” Hakyeon ventured.

“Let me thank you for this gift. Correctly”

-x-

“And so it begins” Jaehwan said, lying down on Taekwoon’s lap. The new moon was like a gentle cradle that rocked him, letting him rest till the night began again.

“No dearest. This is how it ends” Taekwoon corrected him, ruffling his hair. 

-x-

Hakyeon looked over to his side. The tent was still dark, daybreak a few moments beyond the horizon. The stars were fading giving way to the dark black sky.

“Are you awake?” he whisper asked. A soft snore answered Hakyeon’s question. Wonshik was a warrior but he had the alertness of a bear in hibernation. It had always been hardest to wake him in the mornings.

“How romantic”

Hakyeon started, sitting up in panic. Who was here? Had they been discovered? Who had spoken?

“You might wished to get dressed dearest. Dawn is about to break”

Hakyeon turned to the entrance of the tent, where a man sat on the ground. He played with a small clay top, spinning it and watching it till it fell before lifting it up again.

“Who are you?” Hakyeon asked, holding the sheets up to cover himself. He had a hand on Wonshik who was lying still. Too still. Had he been poisoned or knocked out unconscious? Was this man a spy? He certainly looked nothing like the people from their tribe. Had he been placed to take advantage of the great feast and kill Wonshik while no one else was around.

Hakyeon debated his chances. He couldn’t tell how much Wonshik was hurt and the intruder looked to be well built and strong. He had to kill them quickly and silently.

“Murderous thoughts won’t do well for the children” the stranger said, picking up the top mid spin.

“What do you mean?” Hakyeon asked, despite himself. He reached for his clothes while keeping his eyes on the stranger. The stranger stood up, turning away to give Hakyeon some privacy. Hakyeon took the chance to dress himself, wishing he had fresh clothes to wear. But now was not the time to be distracted.

“The Moon blessed you with two children was it not?” the stranger asked, picking up the goblet that Hakyeon had left behind on the table last night.

“How do you know this?” Hakyeon asked warily.

“The Moon and I are… close. Brothers even” the stranger explained, drinking the moonstone wine from the goblet. The words triggered an understanding in Hakyeon. It fit together then, the golden hair and the sun kissed skin.

“My apologies, God of Earth” Hakyeon said kneeling down. It brought an onslaught of dizziness that thankfully faded as soon as it came.

“You should avoid fast movements” Hongbin said, turning to face the man. He took Hakyeon’s hand and helped him stand gently. Hakyeon flinched at the blazing warmth of his skin.

“We must leave before the day starts” Hongbin told him.

“Where are we going? And why is Wonshik unconscious?” Hakyeon asked. He worried that he had overstepped his boundaries. Hongbin’s glare did not help.

“You took the Moon’s gifts selfishly. Did you not think of its consequences?” Hongbin asked, narrowing his eyes at Hakyeon and stepping closer to him. “Did you not think of how you were to bear the children of this union? How they would be unnatural when man was not meant to bear life within him? Or of what lives they would lead, shunned due to their very nature of birth?”

“You carry the Moon’s blessing to you but that favour was not freely given” Hongbin added. Hakyeon clutched at his stomach, feeling a wave of terror and nausea hit him at the same time.

“Your precious lover will be fine. You must leave at once. Daybreak and dusk is the only time that the Sun and Moon cannot touch you. I can help you. But you must come away at once” Hongbin told him.

“You wish to help me?” Hakyeon asked. 

“The life you bear now has done nothing wrong. I bear them no ill will. And none to you either. You’re not the first mortal to have been this foolish and neither will you be last. But the Sun is coming up and you must either come away or stay behind forever” Hongbin warned. 

The sky outside was starting to turn light blue. Hakyeon took one last look at Wonshik. The god of Earth was benevolent. He had to believe it.

“Help me” he begged, taking Hongbin’s hand in both of his own. Hongbin nodded grimly.

-x-

“Where are my children?!” Taekwoon raged. He grabbed the ink bottle kept on his desk and threw it at his mirror. The glass shattered, the ink splattering on the curtains.

“How dare he?” Taekwoon asked Jaehwan who was leaning against the door. “How dare my own brother do this to me?”

“Come now dearest. Your brother means well. He might be the only one able to help him” Jaehwan said, taking the god into his arms.

“Find him. I don’t care what it costs. I will rip him from the wretched grasp of the earth if I must” Taekwoon promised. 

“Come to rest now my dear. It has been a long night” Jaehwan consoled. 

Where had Hongbin hidden Hakyeon?

-x-

“Has there been any word of Hakyeon?” Wonshik asked, chopping pieces of wood. 

The tribe had had a long moment of peace with quite a few days passing since the last skirmish. The days had been too cold with the sun always hidden behind clouds and mist while the nights grew cold and windy. The bad weather had turned their enemies away but the village fared badly due to the sudden growth in illness amongst the tribe’s folk. Wonshik had instructed the men to gather more food and firewood, hoping the stormy weather wouldn’t last too long.

The storms brewing on the outside had nothing on the turmoil in Wonshik’s head and heart. A part of him worried for Hakyeon and his sudden disappearance after their last night together. The rest of him thought that maybe this was for the best. What future did they have, sinning as they had?

Perhaps it had all been a test from the gods. The effect of the moonstone had faded by the second night and left Wonshik feeling empty and deprived of the power in his veins that he had grown to cherish. And Hakyeon had appeared one night and then vanished, perhaps an illusion. Maybe the gods had judged him unworthy and taken his power away.

“He hasn’t been seen since the last new moon, Chief” the boy collecting the cut pieces of wood told him. Wonshik’s axe fell with one swoop, breaking the log in two. “His house lies abandoned on the edge of the village. They say he went to the mountains to meditate but I don’t think he survived” the boy said.

Wonshik struck the log with more force than needed. His hands rung in reaction to the excessive force as the blade wedged itself into the rock.

“Fix it” Wonshik ordered, displeased at the boy’s mouth running loose. Hakyeon wasn’t the type to give up easily.

“Yes Chief” the boy said, bending over himself. He had sensed that he had erred and hastily wished to correct himself. In a small tribe as this, to earn the Chieftain’s displeasure was to earn certain social exile.

Wonshik looked over the hill that the village resided on. He could see the settlements to the base and a few scattered huts on the top that stood apart from the others. Even if Hakyeon was home, it was quite possible for him to avoid the tribe. And if he had felt any confused as Wonshik had over their act then it was no surprise that he had hidden himself away.

But the absence for days had been worrying Wonshik. Wonshik told the boy to finish up with the firewood before heading off in the direction of Hakyeon’s hut.

It was a long trek back, with people who wished to greet the chieftain obstructing him. But Wonshik managed to escape and made his way to the forest. He had remembered talking to Hakyeon about the trees and how Hakyeon would tell him stories of befriending squirrels. Hakyeon had sounded like a forest spirit to him in those times. A small wonder that he had successfully meditated and been granted a blessing from the Moon God.

And Hakyeon had caught him at a good time too. The tribe elders believed that the bad weather had been due to the Sun and Moon gods being displeased by humans. If Hakyeon had moved the gods now, he would certainly have been cursed instead of blessed.

Hakyeon’s hut was surrounded by a garden just like Wonshik remembered from years ago. It had been quite a while since he had visited. The garden lay abandoned with weeds starting to grow between Hakyeon’s carefully potted plants. Rodents had bitten at the fruits that had fallen to the ground. There was no sound from anywhere in and around the hut. Hakyeon’s had outlived his family, being the sole survivor in a particularly bloody skirmish.

It seemed like no one was home. Wonshik knocked on the door before walking in. A heavy puff of dust greeted him and he knew that Hakyeon hadn’t been home for days. He would never let his home reach such a state of disarray.

“It was about time that you came looking for your lover.”

Wonshik pulled out his knife in a flash and turned to the source of sound. There was a man sitting by the window. Petite, blonde and brightly skinned. He was dressed in golden jewelry and finery along his black robes. A stark contrast to the modest things Hakyeon owned.

“Fear not, child. I too am looking for your lover in his best interests” the man said, making Wonshik’s knife vanish with a wave of his hand. The man turned outside, watching the gloomy skies.

“Why are you looking for… my friend?” Wonshik asked the man warily.

“He has a debt to repay. I am merely here to collect it” the man replied.

“Who are you and what do you want with Hakyeon? Do you wish to harm him? What debt does he owe you?” Wonshik asked, emboldened by the fact that the man had answered his question without hesitation.

“I do not wish to harm Hakyeon. And you have already played your part. The debt can only be fulfilled by Hakyeon alone” the man told him.

“Are you the Moon God?” Wonshik asked, eyes to the floor. The divine radiance could not be hidden even in the dark lighting of the home.

“You mistake me for another but I am a God” the man agreed.

“The Sun God then” Wonshik said.

“Correctly identified. What you wish to do with that knowledge, I do not know” Jaehwan said, dismissing the man.

“You were looking for Hakyeon. He has a debt to you?” Wonshik prodded further.

“To the Moon God. In return for the favour that he shared. With you” Jaehwan told him, turning to him to give him his full attention.

“I ask forgiveness for taking the boon that wasn’t meant for me” Wonshik said getting down on his knees in apology. “For the debt that Hakyeon owes, I shall do my best to repay it.”

Jaehwan narrowed his eyes at the man. He was rather persistent and stubborn, looking to save his lover as well as he could. But who had survived the wrath of the Moon?

“If you truly wish to not attract the ire of the Moon as well then find your lover. You have ten days before the Moon unleashes his fury and destroys your tribe” Jaehwan told him. Wonshik nodded, his fists clenching. What had Hakyeon gotten them all into now?

-x-

“How do you feel now?” Hongbin asked, laying out fruits for Hakyeon to eat.

“I still feel unusual” Hakyeon said, fiddling with his longer hair. “The feminine form feels natural for bearing children and in many ways feels natural to me but I also feel like I do not truly belong.”

“Gender identity has always been fluid. Perhaps you do not lie at either extreme end” Hongbin said, consoling the man. “And regarding your biological form, I had no choice but to change you. For the sake of the children. You are free to retain whichever form you like after you give birth.”

“I am not ungrateful but I still have not understood why you chose to help me” Hakyeon confessed, caressing his swollen belly. we The earth god had been nothing but kind to him since the day they had arrived.

“Have you considered that I am being selfish and only helping my brother’s children? Maybe I wish to keep my children and throw you out of my home” Hongbin asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I cannot thank you enough” Hakyeon started only to be shushed by Hongbin.

“You have expressed your gratitude on multiple occasions and I have accepted it. You must eat. And rest should you wish for the children to be healthy” Hongbin told him. Hakyeon nodded, silently picking up food from the platter.

“You were deep in thought when I came in. What were you thinking about?” Hongbin asked, sitting next to him.

“I was merely wondering about Wonshik. I left with no explanation” Hakyeon confided in him. Hongbin closed his eyes, thinking to himself. 

“I wish he were here with me” he said, huffing out.

“The children will be born any day now. Perhaps you shall visit him after” Hongbin said. He made no promises. Hakyeon had to pay his debt to Taekwoon first and Hongbin snatching him away had definitely not helped their cause.

“Can't I go to him now?” Hakyeon asked. Hongbin shook his head in response, pushing the platter of fruits to him.

“I wonder if he misses me” Hakyeon said.

“He has been searching heaven and hell for you” Hongbin told him.

“Why can't I go to him? Please. Just once. I only wish to see him once” Hakyeon pleaded.

“It is dangerous to move in this state” Hongbin said firmly.

“Can't he come to us?” Hakyeon asked. “Please. I'll do anything you wish of me.”

“I shall consider it” Hongbin said, staying silent afterwards. Hakyeon's smile showed the beginnings of hope.

-x-

“Hakyeon where are you?” Wonshik asked, sitting down by the stream. It had been eight days and the gods were not happy. The storms raged on, the elders fearful of floods and landslides wiping out humanity itself in an uproar.

It had been easy to lie to the tribe folk. Wonshik had sworn he would go on a quest to appease the Gods and find a way to end the storms. He had entrusted the job of finding shelter and protecting his people to his half brother Sanghyuk. He had left seven days ago.

As the deadline drew closer, Wonshik grew more weary and resigned. Night fell slowly, the distinction between the cloudy evening sky and blue night sky blurred. There was no moon tonight.

“I pray to you God of Earth. Help me find him or innocent lives will be taken in vain” he prayed, looking down at the mud below his feet.

“Those lives are hardly innocent” a man said, appearing next to him. Wonshik jumped, not quite used to Gods appearing and disappearing as they pleased.

“There are helpless children among them” Wonshik begged. “Help me save some if not all.”

“I make no promises. Mankind hasn’t been very just in their treatments to me” Hongbin said smoothly.

“Please help me find Hakyeon. I will protect him no matter what the cost” Wonshik said. His desperation was apparent in his voice.

“I can take you to him. Of all times, he would want you near the most now” Hongbin said. Wonshik furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. But he nodded all the same. 

Hongbin took his hand, vanishing and reappearing in a place Wonshik didn’t know. It was inside a stone building he was sure. There was no indication of night or day here. No sign of anyone else except a long corridor in front of him. 

“The last room. But I can’t guarantee that he would want to see you” Hongbin warned him. Wonshik nodded. He took off wordlessly, following the narrow passage. He walked by doors which looked to be sealed, till he came upon the last one.

He opened the door only to be stopped in his tracks by the sight in front of him. Hakyeon lay on a bed his eyes closed while two little children lay in a cradle next to his bed. One was dark skinned and looked fairly blue. It lay unusually still while his brother, more pale of the pair bawled.

“What is the meaning of this?” Wonshik asked, unsettled by the sight.

“You’re too late. Our son didn’t survive” Hakyeon replied. His tears were more visible when he turned to Wonshik who backed away.

“Our… son? Two men can’t have children Hakyeon” Wonshik said.

“These are our children whether you believe me or not” Hakyeon said, wiping his tears away.

“Is this the blessing the Moon God gave you? Children? Unnatural beasts born from an unnatural act?” Wonshik asked angrily.

“They aren’t unnatural! Hongbin helped me birth them. They aren’t ordinary but they aren’t beasts. Or weren’t” Hakyeon protested.

“And what did you promise in return?” Wonshik asked, firmly not looking at the little children.

“The Moon God said he would take his favour on the day our first child was born” Hakyeon confessed.

“He intends to take your first born child as his own” Hongbin added, standing at the door.

“I… I can’t” Hakyeon said holding his daughter close to him. She was a stark contrast from both her parents. Silver hair and pale skin and blue eyes that twinkled like stars.

“If you don’t give him the child, he will destroy the world and take it from you” Wonshik told him. “People will die for that monstrosity!”

“This is our child!” Hakyeon yelled.

“That is not my child! That is a monster and our entire tribe will be killed because you refuse to give it up!” Wonshik yelled back.

“Her! And this is my child! You will take her over my dead body” Hakyeon said fiercely.

“That might come to pass sooner than you think. My brother is here and he won’t leave without his child” Hongbin said, looking down the corridor they had come from.

“Wonshik. Wonshik please. I can’t give our only child away. Help me protect him” Hakyeon pleaded.

“You have to give it away. These are gods Hakyeon. This isn’t a petty squabble in the tribe. That beast has no future amongst men” Wonshik explained.

“You horrid horrid man” Hakyeon cried, throwing an antique from the table near him to Wonshik. The little girl started to cry and Hakyeon held her close, holding back tears himself.

“Taekwoon” Hongbin said, blocking the doorway.

“Tonight is not the night for this” Jaehwan warned. 

“I have come to take my child” Taekwoon said simply and said nothing more. He side stepped his brother and walked into the room.

“This is my daughter! I gave birth to her!” Hakyeon yelled.

“And you wouldn’t have done it without my blessing you foolish mortal” Taekwoon hissed. 

“No… no please no. don’t take her away from me. Please no” Hakyeon whimpered as Taekwoon took the child in his arms. She had such beautiful eyes, he thought.

“Hold him if you do not wish to see him dead” Jaehwan suggested. Wonshik hesitated, unsure of how to approach Hakyeon.

“Please don’t let him take my child” Hakyeon pleaded to Hongbin who wa equally as helpless.

“It never belonged to you” Taekwoon reminded him. 

“Please. Please don’t separate us. That’s my child” Hakyeon begged, holding Taekwoon’s robes.

“I have no use for you now” Taekwoon said stepping away from the man.

“We must leave dearest. The storms won’t stop till you return to your abode in the heavens” Jaehwan said. He had no interest in the child but this had gone on long enough. Taekwoon nodded.

Hakyeon panicked. He knew that if they left he would never see his daughter again. He lunged for the god but Taekwoon acted faster. A sharp white blade pierced Hakyeon through the stomach, stopping him in his tracks. Wonshik screamed as Hakyeon fell. He rushed to his side, cradling the man.

“Stupid mortal, challenging a god” Jaehwan said to himself, feeling some sort of pity for the fool.

“Was it worth this?” Hongbin asked Taekwoon as he took in the scene. Wonshik was terrified while the life slowly ebbed out of Hakyeon’s body. The exhaustion from childbirth and the transformation back had depleted his body of any healing energy.

“I would do anything for my child” Taekwoon replied, cradling the little soul. Jaehwan covered the baby in a small blanket and the two gods disappeared, taking the moon child with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Come cry with me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/poojamk15?s=09) or my [Tumblr](https://vixxscifiwritings.tumblr.com)


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